As had several others before us, several days ago we suggested firing letters off to the two major newspapers in the Bahamas (the Nassau Guardian and the Tribune 242).
The Tribune 242 yesterday published a very interesting editorial – Tourism Fury Over Fly Fishing ‘Tsunami’ – suggesting that anglers’ commentary isn’t falling on deaf ears, at least among those who stand to suffer significant losses with a decline in fly fishers on the islands.
A furious tourism industry is uniting to oppose the new Fly Fishing law and regulations, fearing it will cost the Bahamas millions of dollars and “further erode the competitive position” of the sector.
Tribune Business can reveal that the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) is uniting with the Grand Bahama and Out Island Promotion Boards, plus the Marina Operators of the Bahamas (MOB), to oppose proposed amendments they fear will hit the tourism industry “like a tsunami”.
The sector, and its associations, are especially concerned that the planned changes to the Fisheries Resources (Jurisdiction and Conservation) Act will create more ‘red tape’ and price the Bahamas out of the market. (There’s much more on the Tribune 242 site…)
The Bonefish and Tarpon Trust has weighed in as of yesterday with a great letter from Dr. Aaron Adams; here’s just a part though you should read the entire piece for much more detail…
I write to you to provide comments on the proposed “FISHERIES RESOURCES (JURISDICTION AND CONSERVATION) (FLATS FISHING) REGULATIONS, 2015” dated June 17, 2015. I write to you as Director of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, an international, non-profit, membership-based, conservation organization based in Florida, USA. BTT’s mission is to protect and conserve bonefish, tarpon, permit and their habitats so that healthy fisheries can be sustained. BTT envisions its role as provider of biological information to resource management agencies, guides, and lodges so that they have the best available information to use as they formulate conservation strategies.
I commend your interest in protecting the economically and culturally important recreational bonefish fishery in the Bahamas. As Director of BTT, I offer the following commentary that I hope enhances your efforts to protect this important fishery.
It is BTT’s assessment that the top threats to the long-term health of the bonefish fishery in the Bahamas are habitat loss and degradation. This is not unique to the Bahamas – the same threats are impacting the bonefish fisheries in Belize, Mexico, Cuba, and Florida. Although the Draft Regulations address many management aspects of the fishery, they do not address habitat conservation and protections, which are essential components of a comprehensive conservation plan.
There are several good letters on Tribune 242 ‘Letters to the Editor’ page as well, and not just from the ‘ugly Americans’.
The Letters to the Editor page on the Tribune 242 site has been pretty busy this week with input from fly fishers all over the world coming in opposing the measures as written.
Today is the last day to fire off comments to the Department of Marine Resources at fisheries@bahamas.gov.bs. If you’ve not done so, please do now – some folks on the islands are listening.
